Lowry Avenue Bridge implosion scheduled for June 21

Hennepin County has scheduled the
Lowry Avenue Bridge to be removed by implosion at 9 a.m. on Sunday, June 21. The bridge, a Minneapolis landmark since 1905, has been closed since April 2008 and must be removed before Hennepin County can begin construction on a replacement bridge this fall.

Due to a lack of structural integrity, imploding the current structure is the safest option available to workers, and results in minimal disruption to the environment and river navigation. The implosion will sever what remains of the steel trusses, dropping them into the river; residents should expect to hear a loud, deep, boom-like sound.

Hennepin County is asking residents in the area to leave before 8 a.m. or stay in their homes away from windows until after the implosion.

The Lowry Avenue N. road closure will expand to include from N. 2nd Street to Grand Street N.E., and Marshall Street N.E. will close from 23rd Avenue N.E. to 26th Avenue N.E. with a signed detour, the morning of June 21. The industrial zoning of the neighborhood and heavy tree line along the Mississippi River shore means there is limited-to-zero visibility for the public of the implosion site.

Hennepin Countys reconstruction of the Lowry Bridge, along with the City of Minneapolis rehabilitation of the Camden Bridge, are two of the many transportation projects in the city that are
receiving funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. While the Lowry Bridge is being reconstructed, Minneapolis will maintain traffic flow across the Camden Bridge, which will receive a $10 million rehabilitation in early 2010.